Securely transferring computation in a disaggregated environment using a processor group key

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11017103-B2
Application number	US-201816204463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 29, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2018
Publication date	May 25, 2021
Grant date	May 25, 2021

Abstract

A group of processors in a processor pool comprise a secure “enclave” in which user code is executable and user data is readable solely with the enclave. This is facilitated through the key management scheme described that includes two sets of key-pairs, namely: a processor group key-pair, and a separate user key-pair (typically one per-user, although a user may have multiple such key-pairs). The processor group key-pair is associated with all (or some define subset of) the processors in the group. This key-pair is used to securely communicate a user private key among the processors. The user private key, however, is not transmitted to non-members of the group. Further, preferably the user private key is refreshed periodically or upon any membership change (in the group) to ensure that non-members or ex-members cannot decipher the encrypted user key.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method to securely transfer computation in a disaggregated compute environment comprising a set of resource pools including a secure processor pool, comprising:
associating a set of processors drawn from the secure processor pool as an enclave; associating a first key-pair with each of the set of processors in the enclave, the first key-pair including a private key that is shared by the each of the processors, the private key having an associated public key;
receiving user code and data within a first processor in the enclave, the user code and data being secured by a second key-pair uniquely associated with a user, the second key-pair including a decipher key;
in association with a transfer of the user code and data from a first processor in the enclave to a second processor in the enclave that shares the first key-pair, encrypting the decipher key using the private key and passing the encrypted decipher key from the first processor to the second processor;
adjusting a membership of the set of processors in the enclave, wherein adjusting the membership includes:
determining whether a new processor has an authorization to join the enclave; and
when the new processor has the authorization, associating the new processor to the set of processors in the enclave; and
refreshing the first key-pair following association of the new processor to the set of processors.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including securely transferring the user code and data from the second processor boa processor outside the enclave.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the membership includes removing a processor from the set of processors in the enclave and returning the removed processor to the secure processor pool.

4. The method of claim 1 , further including executing the user code in the enclave, wherein the user code is executed by decrypting the encrypted decipher key using the public key to recover the decipher key, and then applying the decipher key to decrypt the user code.

5. A system to securely transfer computation in a disaggregated compute environment comprising a set of resource pools including a secure processor pool, comprising:
one or more hardware processors;
computer memory holding computer program instructions executed by the hardware processors and operative to:
associate a set of processors drawn from the secure processor pool as an enclave;
associate a first key-pair with each of the set of processors in the enclave, the first key-pair including a private key that is shared by the each of the processors, the private key having an associated public key;
receive user code and data within a first processor in the enclave, the user code and data being secured by a second key-pair uniquely associated with a user, the second key-pair including a decipher key;
in association with a transfer of the user code and data from a first processor in the enclave to a second processor in the enclave that shares the first key-pair, encrypt the decipher key using the private key and passing the encrypted decipher key from the first processor to the second processor;
adjust a membership of the set of processors in the enclave, wherein adjusting the membership includes:
determining whether a new processor has an authorization to join the enclave; and
when the new processor has the authorization, associating the new processor to the set of processors in the enclave; and

refresh the first key-pair following association of the new processor to the set of processors.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer program instructions are further operative to securely transfer the user code and data from the second processor to a processor outside the enclave.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer program instructions to adjust the membership includes program code operative to remove a processor from the set of processors in the enclave and return the removed processor to the secure processor pool.

8. The system of claim 5 , wherein the computer program instructions are further operative to execute the user code in the enclave, wherein the user code is executed by decrypting the encrypted decipher key using the public key to recover the decipher key, and then applying the decipher key to decrypt the user code.

9. A computer program product in a non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a data processing system to securely transfer computation in a disaggregated compute environment comprising a set of resource pools including a secure processor pool, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions operative to:
associate a set of processors drawn from the secure processor pool as an enclave;
associate a first key-pair with each of the set of processors in the enclave, the first key-pair including a private key that is shared by the each of the processors, the private key having an associated public key;
receive user code and data within a first processor in the enclave, the user code and data being secured by a second key-pair uniquely associated with a user, the second key-pair including a decipher key;
in association with a transfer of the user code and data from a first processor in the enclave to a second processor in the enclave that shares the first key-pair, encrypt the decipher key using the private key and passing the encrypted decipher key from the first processor to the second processor;
adjust a membership of the set of processors in the enclave, wherein adjusting the membership includes:
determining whether a new processor has an authorization to loin the enclave; and
when the new processor has the authorization, associating the new processor to the set of processors in the enclave; and

refresh the first key-pair following association of the new processor to the set of processors.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer program instructions are further operative to securely transfer the user code and data from the second processor boa processor outside the enclave.

11. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer program instructions to adjust the membership includes program code operative to remove a processor from the set of processors in the enclave and return the removed processor to the secure processor pool.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the computer program instructions are further operative to execute the user code in the enclave, wherein the user code is executed by decrypting the encrypted decipher key using the public key to recover the decipher key, and then applying the decipher key to decrypt the user code.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ramasamy Harigovind V
• Bivens John A
• Mahindru Ruchi
• Salapura Valentina
• Li Min
• Ruan Yaoping
• Schenfeld Eugen

Classifications

• G06F2221/2149

  Restricted operating environment · CPC title

• H04L2209/46

  Secure multiparty computation, e.g. millionaire problem · CPC title

• H04L9/0894

  Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage · CPC title

• H04L9/002

  Countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms (network architectures or network communication protocols for protection against malicious traffic H04L63/1441) · CPC title

• H04L9/0822

  using key encryption key · CPC title